Setting Up Windows 11 Pro On New Dell XPS 15 9520?

I was setting up my new dell xps 15 9520. Ordered it with windows 11 pro. Plan to use it with bitlocker to have a pin set up and also a windows password similar to like with my old xps laptop with windows 10 pro.



When I went and set it up, it ask me to connect to internet. I did that. Then it ask me to log in with a microsoft account. There was no option to dismiss this so I just created a new account @outlook.com and made a password for it.



When I set everything up, I noticed I have mcafee? Do they always give you a free month trial? I want to remove it so just go and add/remove programs and remove it or not yet? I plan to either use my paid kaspersky total or the windows defender free.



Now when I restarted the laptop, it then ask for my windows pin to log in. I entered it and logged in. Now how secure is this method? Because at the bottom it did ask forget your pin? I assume you click that, then it send an email to your microsoft account you created to reset your pin?



However, that isn't as secure as bitlocker right? I want my laptop to require me to enter a bitlocker pin but also a windows password as well like with windows 10 pro. I paid extra for windows 11 pro so I could use bitlocker.



My question now is... do I have to do the windows 11 pro setup again because I messed up by creating a microsoft account? I remember I read a while back there was a way to bypass this and it was with not connecting to your wifi first? But I already did this eariler. So what are my options now? I want bitlocker pin to login and then a windows password before I get to my desktop. Could I reset my pc and do this all over again? Would I need to do a complete reinstall which would require me to download windows 11 file to a usb flash drive? I do not want the microsoft account login version so could I still remove it now? Didn't download anything important on the laptop yet so don't mind wiping it.

In this video, i will show you how to add a local account as a user on the PC in Windows 11.

At a technical level a PIN is more secure than a password on a Microsoft ID, (account), as the PIN is stored and checked locally in it's own process, whereas the Account method is stored remotely, so is potentially readable by others

Okay. So when I used my old dell xps with windows 10 pro, I used a bitlocker pin and windows 10 password to get access to my computer.


How do I do this now on my new dell xps 9520 laptop with windows 11 pro then since I already set up a microsoft account with pin for it? There wasn't a way to not do that so I had to create a microsoft account and password and then a pin.


So what are my options now and what should I do? I want a bitlocker pin and windows 11 password similar to my old xps laptop.


When you say a pin is more secure than a microsoft windows password, you mean bitlocker pin or the pin I just created?


Do I reset windows and do this setup all over again?


Do I just turn on bitlocker now and add a windows 11 password? If i do that, I also need to enter the microsoft pin so I need to enter 3 passwords to get to my computer?


Do I install windows 11 on a usb flash drive and do a new windows 11 installation? I would obviously prefer not doing this as this would require me to download windows 11 on it and set it up again when most people just set up windows on their computer and they are good to go.


I want a bitlocker pin and a windows password before I get access to my computer like with my old windows 10 pro laptop.

In this video, i will show you how to switch to a local account from a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows 11 with instead.

Hey brink thanks.


I thought you want the computer to setup from local account from the start? So you cannot do that? What is the preferred method?


I want it just like the old laptop that used windows 10 pro.

newmann said:

Hey brink thanks.


I thought you want the computer to setup from local account from the start? So you cannot do that? What is the preferred method?


I want it just like the old laptop that used windows 10 pro.

Click to expand...

Yes, you can clean install Windows 11 with a local account using the method in the tutorial below. I just posted that above since I thought you already had it set up with your Microsoft account.

Brink said:

Yes, you can clean install Windows 11 with a local account using the method in the tutorial below. I just posted that above since I thought you already had it set up with your Microsoft account.

Clean Install Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account. Windows 11 has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes...

www.elevenforum.com

Click to expand...

Hey brink. The thing is couldn't I just reset this pc and that would also work? Because I don't have anything installed important at the moment. But if i do that, I still won't be able to bypass the microsoft account?

My main concern with doing the clean windows 11 install is this is going to require me to not only download it in a usb, but I have to go through all the steps of doing it. But not only that, what if my new xps 9520 need to download new drivers etc and this is going to be a huge headache for me. But when you installed windows 11, you say you created a microsoft account. So you login with a pin? Do you use bitlocker or windows 11 password??


Could I enable bitlocker now and this would still work just like with my old windows 10 pro laptop? But if i do that, it would ask me for 3 passwords? Bitlocker pin, then microsoft pin and finally the windows 11 password? Or just the bitlocker pin and microsoft pin

newmann said:

Hey brink. The thing is couldn't I just reset this pc and that would also work? Because I don't have anything installed important at the moment.
But if i do that, I still won't be able to bypass the microsoft account?

My main concern with doing the clean windows 11 install is this is going to require me to not only download it in a usb, but I have to go through all the steps of doing it. But not only that, what if my new pxs 9520 need to download new drivers etc and this is going to be a huge headache for me. But when you installed windows 11, you say you created a microsoft account. So you login with a pin? Do you use bitlocker or windows 11 password??


Could I enable bitlocker now and this would still work just like with my old windows 10 pro laptop? But if i do that, it would ask me for 3 passwords? Bitlocker pin, then microsoft pin and finally the windows 11 password? Or just the bitlocker pin and microsoft pin

Click to expand...

Yes, you could reset Windows 11 below to still use the same procedure to set up a local account during the reset/installation.


If you turn on BitLocker after the reset has finished, you can set up BitLocker to unlock with a PIN like below.


Signing in to your account with a PIN or password is a separate item.

Hi brink. Okay so resetting windows has 3 different options. I see the third option removes all user accounts and personal files. I have no files or programs I downloaded on this new laptop yet.


It also removes all programs that came with Dell. So is that bad idea to do this? Or it only remove bloatware? My concern is if it removes some dell drivers.


In another thread, someone said you could just add a new local account. Then once you do that log in, and then remove the microsoft account. Someone above in this thread suggested that and someone else did as well in another thread. So would you say that is the simplest way to do this?


Then once you remove the microsoft account created earlier, then enable bitlocker pin and also the windows 11 password?


Okay so windows hello is different. So if I decided to just enable bitlocker now and put a windows 11 password... I could still do that? So laptop turns on, it first ask me for bitlocker pin. Then it ask me for windows hello pin? Then finally the windows 11 password before it get to my desktop? So it will ask me for 3 passwords in this order? Or it would be bitlocker pin, windows 11 password and finally windows hello pin? Or its only 2 passwords so bitlocker and then either windows 11 password or windows hello pin?


Do you have windows 11 pro or 11 home and do you use bitlocker?

Personally, if you already have your new laptop set up with a Microsoft account, I would just use the method below to switch to a local account without losing anything.


I have Windows 11 Pro for Workstations installed with a Microsoft account and BitLocker turned on for all drives.

If you set up BitLocker to require a PIN to unlock, then you would have that first. Afterwards, you would just sign in to your local account using whichever sign-in option (ex: PIN or password) you want.

Brink said:

Personally, if you already have your new laptop set up with a Microsoft account, I would just use the method below to switch to a local account without losing anything.

Switch to Local Account from Microsoft Account in Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to switch to a local account from a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows 11 with instead. You can sign in to Windows 11 with a local account or a Microsoft account. However, you can easily switch between using a local account or a Microsoft account to sign in...

www.elevenforum.com

I have Windows 11 Pro for Workstations installed with a Microsoft account and BitLocker turned on for all drives.

If you set up BitLocker to require a PIN to unlock, then you would have that first. Afterwards, you would just sign in to your local account using whichever sign-in option (ex: PIN or password) you want.

Click to expand...

Hey thanks. So you have a bitlocker pin... and a microsoft office pin password then? Thus when you turn on laptop, you have to enter bitlocker pin and then microsoft hello pin?


Is that more secure or less than bitlocker pin, then local account password as oppose to microsoft hello pin?


So the most password/pin total you can have before you get to your desktop is 2 correct? Thus bitlocker and then microsoft hello pin... or bitlocker and then the local account password?


Okay so I would switch to a local account. When I do this, I would have to enter a password to it. Any issue if this password is the same microsoft hello pin for the microsoft account created earlier? I want to use the same bitlocker pin and windows 10 password that I used on my old xps ... with my new xps etc.

It doesn't matter what I do for BitLocker. Only what you're wanting to use.

When you switch to a local account, you will set up a password for the local account during the process as outlined in the tutorial posted above.

You can add a Windows Hello PIN to your local account afterwards if wanted. You can then sign in to your local account using either the PIN or password "sign-in option". It doesn't matter what PIN you use of it's the same as another account since they are a per account setting.

It sounds like you are wanting to do this below at startup:

1. Enter BitLocker PIN to unlock BitLocker.
2. Enter PIN or password to sign in to Windows 11 with your account.

Brink said:

Personally, if you already have your new laptop set up with a Microsoft account, I would just use the method below to switch to a local account without losing anything.

Switch to Local Account from Microsoft Account in Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to switch to a local account from a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows 11 with instead. You can sign in to Windows 11 with a local account or a Microsoft account. However, you can easily switch between using a local account or a Microsoft account to sign in...

www.elevenforum.com

I have Windows 11 Pro for Workstations installed with a Microsoft account and BitLocker turned on for all drives.

If you set up BitLocker to require a PIN to unlock, then you would have that first. Afterwards, you would just sign in to your local account using whichever sign-in option (ex: PIN or password) you want.

Click to expand...

I clicked on sign in with a local account instead.

Get blue message that ask


Close and backup or Skip This Step


On the link you posted, it says click next? Next isn't shown here.

Message shows in blue message


Switch to a local account


The contents of this PC are encrypted to protect the privacy if this pc is lost or stolen. Windows automatically stores your recovery key with yoour microsoft account. Before you switch to a local account, you should back up a copy of your recovery key. If anything happens to your pc, you'll need your recovery key to sign in and access your important files and photos.

To backup your recovery key, close this dialog box and use the search charm to search for device encryption. To or lick manage bitlocker and then follow the backup instructions for each encrypted drive on your pc


Close and Back Up

or


Skip This Step


Which do i choose? Also how would I just cancel it if i want to do it later? I can't even cancel this if I want to do this later?

Okay so clicking close and back up just went back. When click on skip this step, I created a new account. I then added a password.


Now when I log into the computer, it shows my local account only each and everytime? So each I turn on laptop, it always goes to that one as oppose to the microsoft account I created earlier? It ask for pin and I entered the new password I created for the new local account. I am surprised it ask for pin as oppose to password?


I do see right below it... signin options... which mean if i wanted to sign in to the microsoft account I created earlier, I would click on that instead?



So as of right now, I can enable bitlocker on this local account I created?


Where is the link to set up bitlocker for windows 11 pro? I want to set it up exactly the same way as windows 10 pro. I remember with bitlocker on windows 10 pro, there were like 3 options to set up bilocker with like tpm, tpm with options or password? Is it the same here? I would be choose TPM with options right? I remember I also had to make settings changes in windows 10 pro where I had to make it where I could enter numbers and things like that. Is that the same with bitlocker for windows 11 pro? I want my bitlocker pin to contain numbers and letters. I remember if you didn't make that setting change on windows 10 pro, your bitlocker pin would only be numbers which obviously isn't that good.

Typed in bitlocker in settings. Clicked on manage bitlocker.


It shows

OS (C:) Bitlocker on

Suspend protection
Back up your recover key
Turn off Bitlocker


How in the world is bitlocker on? I did not even do anything with bitlocker on this new windows 11 pro laptop?


Because if bitlocker is on, where is that


Please Enter Your Bitlocker Pin to Unlock This Drive Message Like in Windows 10 Pro when you power on your laptop or restart it?



Also on that page, it does show For your security, some settings are managed by your system administrator. Does that matter? Do I need to go back to the microsoft account I created earlier when I set up the account?


I am on my local account that I just created. I don't understand how bitlocker is turned on if no message of typing in the bitlocker pin at startup? The pin they ask me at startup when turn on computer, that is my local account password right? Because that is what I typed in to get into my local account. So this is device encryption but not bitlocker encryption or something?

Since you set up your laptop with a Microsoft account it could have turned on BitLocker or Device Encryption automatically.

You can check below to see if this is Device Encryption instead.


You can change how BitLocker unlocks the OS drive at startup using the tutorial below.

Brink said:

Since you set up your laptop with a Microsoft account it could have turned on BitLocker or Device Encryption automatically.

You can check below to see if this is Device Encryption instead.

Turn On or Off Device Encryption in Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off device encryption on a Windows 11 PC. Device encryption (aka: BitLocker automatic device encryption) helps protect your data on the OS drive, and it's available on a wide range of Windows devices. If you turn on device encryption, the OS drive...

www.elevenforum.com

You can change how BitLocker unlocks the OS drive at startup using the tutorial below.

Change how BitLocker Unlocks OS Drive at Startup in Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to choose how to unlock your operating system drive at startup with a PIN, USB flash drive, or automatically with TPM in Windows 11. BitLocker Drive Encryption is a data protection feature that integrates with the operating system and addresses the threats of...

www.elevenforum.com

Click to expand...

Hey brink. There is an issue with this on bitlocker with the link you posted for bitlocker tutorial.


All I see when I go to manage bitlocker is


OS (C:) Bitlocker on

Suspend Protection
Back up your recovery key
Turn off Bitlocker


Where is the option of change how drive is unlocked at startup? I want this to put a bitlocker pin.